I just read about the death of that family this morning. That was very sad to read, and i can emphasize with the parents. I think that the smaller tragedy of the family is more intimate, personal and easier to relate to, which is why people may find it more tragic and upsetting.

228 people is a catastrophe, and i think that the loss of such a large number is more difficult to comprehend and relate to. What drove it home for me was reading about the victims, one of whom was a baby. It is very upsetting to think about that poor baby and how scared it must have been before it died. :(

Oh, that's very sad. :( I think, for me, it's more sad as... if I think about it... the death of any of my children would push me to that line. I don't think I'd cross it as, hopefully, there would be other children still alive but... I'd be pushed close.

Oh God. I heard the former story on the news this morning over breakfast and they told it in such a monumentally depressing way... "Rescuers found a second rucksack, full of toys, near the bodies. ". Just. So. Sad. The other story seems far less personal. 228 people dead is more abstract than the former heart-rending tale.

Yes, I think if you knew the personal details of all 228 of those people, you might find it more personal and tragic. But I can't imagine any of their stories being more tragic than the first one you cited. It's heartbreaking.